Former National Level Boxer Forced to Work as a Sweeper Due to Poverty

Former national boxer Krishna Rout, who has been cleaning open drains for the past 15 years as a temporary worker of Howrah Municipal Corporation, today said he would appeal to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to give him a permanent government job of dignity.

"Earlier I worked for five years as a sweeper of the Corporation, but in 2005 I was given the job of spraying disinfectants in drains which I have been doing for the past ten years," said the 1987 gold medalist and 1992 silver medalist of the National Boxing Championship.

"It is difficult to run a family of six including a brother suffering from tubercolosis with the paltry sum of Rs 232 a day," said Rout who was the winner of the West Bengal State Open Lalchand Rai Memorial Boxing Championship under 40kg in 1987 improving his runner-up position in the same championship in 1985.

"I'll soon write a letter to the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking a permanent government job of my stature to live a life of dignity," said the 43-year-old former boxer who coaches about 150 children of poor families in the morning before he started his daily labour.

"I hope nobody who has a dream suffers like me in life," Rout said.